Zen of Tofu

I know, I couldn’t help myself. Every “re” prefix is translated to “wii” when people talk about Nintendo’s latest console sensation. I was contemplating getting myself one of them ever since the system was released, and I finally made the leap. Am I happy with the purchase? Yes, I’d say I am. Not only is the system an intuitive idea, but also an omen to the design philosophy of simplicity.

The only games I have so far have been The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007. Both titles are pretty decent, although the realism of Tiger Woods and the sometimes finicky controls make the experience not the most exciting. Zelda is a much more satisfying experience with easy controls, decent graphics, and a big world to explore. Although the story is quite linear, the fishing aspect is a lot of fun! I can’t wait until someone develops a decent and respectable fishing simulator. Other titles I’m waiting on are a Star Wars game, a Harvest Moon addition, a better boxing game, and a better golf game. With the recent news of the delay of Spore (by the creator of The Sims, Will Wright) it would also seem to be worth looking forward to Spore for the Wii, but most likely the game won’t be completed until somewhere around 2009.

Either way, I’m pretty happy with the system. The Wii Channels are nice along with the Opera web browser, and the controls are good for the games I have tried so far. The only complaint with the system settings has been the absence of a volume control for the system itself. I hate having to turn my TV’s volume so low just so the Wii doesn’t blow the speakers right off. But that’s just me. Well if there’s anything else to add about the new system, I’ll add it into a future entry. If you haven’t yet tried the Wii, go to a friend’s house and give it a try, just remember that those wrist straps are all important to the lifespan of those HDTVs!

written by tofu

I got my copy! Yes, I’m quite excited to finally have my copy of Forza 2 that I’ve been waiting for ever since it was announced — and even after it was pushed back. What was even more surprising, was that I got it on release day, which is a rare thing since the US seems to get preference on new releases.

So as soon as I got home, I started up the system and went with the tried, tested, and true starting region — Asia. The selection of starting cars was a little grim but the cars definitely have potential. Normally, I like to start my racing career mode with a front-engine rear-wheel drive drivetrain (FR) but I thought I’d like to take a chance with the steep learning curve of driving a mid-engine rear-wheel drive (MR) car, so I decided on the not-so-popular Toyota MR-S. This is definitely not a car for drag-racing — yet — but I figured that the great handling should more than make up for the lack of power. I was not disappointed. I turned all the driving assists off such as ABS, TCS, and STM, turned up the difficulty to Medium, played with Manual Transmission settings, and turned on all the Simulation settings. So in other words, I created a really twitchy, sensitive, and difficult driving situation for myself. I thought that with the new physics engine, making the game this difficult from the get-go would be more punishment than enjoyment, but I seemed to adjust fine. I started winning races, earning credits and upgrading my little convertible.

After a few more races and levels, I was rewarded with a 1985 Corolla (think Initial D) that I call my “Winterbeater that could”. It wasn’t a bad performing car despite its age, but I was still drawn back to the MR-S even after winning a Mitsubishi Evolution and the Border MR2. I think I might switch to the Border MR2 soon because it’s rarity will earn me a lot more credits but I seriously have to give it a paint job.

As my racing career moves on, I aspire to upgrading an MR2 to the S-class and be able to race it against the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche. Another car I look forward to upgrading is the Subaru WRX STi, and I think that should get me to the pre-R2-class vehicles.

This game was definitely worth the wait!

written by tofu

In one week from now or less, I should have Forza Motorsport 2 in my 360. So far I have played the demo extensively, and have been quite satisfied. So here is my small review on Turn 10’s latest creation.

Graphics:
I’ve heard a lot of people complain about the graphics, saying it’s not next-gen or has too many “jaggies” due to a lack of extensive anti-aliasing. I myself have no problem with the graphics, especially compared to Forza 1, and I do quite enjoy the upgrades to environments and car detail. With the game running at 60 frames per second, the realism is maintained even while accelerating to 200 km/h. Many have said that there is no sense of speed and I would quite agree if you were playing from a top-down or “over the roof” view, but once you change your camera to the “over-the-hood” or “nose-of-the-car” view, the sense of speed is definitely apparent.
Graphics: 9/10

Sound:
One thing I’m quite satisfied with is the lack of music when racing. The sounds of the engines and exhausts is exhilirating enough, and is not to be disturbed by music, despite the artist or genre. After racing with the Mazdaspeed RX-8, and having personal experience with the way the car sounds at speed, I’m quite satisfied with how close they have mimicked the exhaust note and sound of “a bunch of angry bees” resonating from beneath the hood. Overall, I think the game captures the realism and music of racing quite spectacularly.
Music: 10/10

Gameplay:
One thing I’m glad Turn 10 did, was to make the Forza series exclusive to the XBOX and XBOX360 simply because the control pad is best suited for racing games when compared to the likes of the Wii or PS3. The analog shoulder triggers give the gamer the exact control and sensitivity that a racing simulator demands. The handling of the cars in the demo did feel real and sensitive enough. Drifting, which is what many people are buying this game solely for, is handled nicely and easily. What’s even greater are the driving aids that can be left on or off depending on how much depth and difficulty one desires. Overall, there is no complaint in the controls department and rightfully so.
Gameplay: 10/10

Overall: 10/10 (Not based on an average, but slightly biased :$)

Of course there are little tweaks and bugs that will be smoothened out before the final release, but gladly I only must wait just a week or less for my copy to arrive. I doubt there’ll be much to change in terms of review so I won’t be rewriting a review unless the final release is far the demo. If you’re looking for a challenging driving simulator with all the tuning options and cars that you could ever ask for, try out Forza 2 and maybe I’ll see you on XBOX Live.

written by tofu

It was officially announced today on XBOX and Forza web site forums that the demo for Forza 2 will be released tonight! Twenty-four cars to try, one track to challenge, and me waking up an hour earlier to try my hand at this! I hope it’s not too big so the download goes quick!

I’ve been waiting for this demo to be released, and I’ve already pre-ordered my copy of the game due to be out May 29. Although there won’t be any customization or online play in the upcoming demo, it’ll definitely be a treat to push the physics and graphics engine to its limits with drift, race, and other odd driving techniques. I just hope all that I’ve learned about racing will hold true with Forza 2, and that the controls are sensitive enough for accurate driving. I wonder how much credits I’ll lose if I drove into a barrier at 200 km/h?

written by tofu

Today I found myself in BestBuy to pick up two new PCs that I put in to have XP installed over Vista. While I waited for the technician to bring out the machines,the BestBuy representative was talking to me about what other services he offers in terms of technical support and product availability. He seemed to be curious as to where I bought my XP discs from, (they ARE legit!) because I got them cheap (OEM) and this guy wanted to buy the same version but not pay the BestBuy price. I wouldn’t tell him my source because I don’t need anymore competition for my services than what I already have! The rep then asked if I was working for a company that does tech support or if I was just on my own, and of course I’m on my own, but I wondered to myself, “Is this where I want to be in the future? Do I want to do tech support for companies for a living?” It doesn’t seem like such a bad idea, considering that all I need is some certifications and such.

I have worked with people in teaching them how to use computers and applications and I guess I have a knack for it. On the flip side, developing software has the potential to be quite exciting at the higher project leader level, but the lifestyle that accompanies the job doesn’t appeal to me one bit. Spending more than 24 hours at the workplace, working entire weekends, and relying so much on fast food is not how I see myself spending my working days. Not to mention what it takes to reach the high level positions and the grueling work and competition. Let’s just say that there’s a high turnover of employees in the software development industry.  I value job stability and consistent hours more than the very small potential to “make it big”.

I have tonnes of options career-wise still, and I intend to try different things and work to find my place in this busy world.

written by tofu